Hard work paying off for Flyers' Hartnell

Monday

Seems like everyone needs a kick in the pants now and then. Some more than others.

Scott Hartnell came to training camp in September in less than stellar condition and part of that was due to an injury issue. He couldn't do his normal workout program.

Hartnell didn't feel like himself in the preseason and it showed. No mad rushes to the net. Few of those patented, crazy stick battles in the corners. And not much in the way of trash talk.

When the regular season began, Hartnell found himself being shuffled around on some lower lines and spending less and less time on the power play.

In the first seven games: Zero goals, two assists, zero plus-minus, six games with an average of less than 13 minutes of ice time per game.

Possibly, Hartnell leaned on that injury excuse a bit much. His conditioning really wasn't where it was supposed to be.

Finally, coach Peter Laviolette had seen enough. Laviolette knows what makes Hartnell tick. It was time for the coach to act, just as he did two years ago during the famous playoff series with Boston.

That's when Laviolette told Hartnell, who was going through a domestic crisis at the time, to try to focus on hockey and let the rest take care of itself.

Hartnell's performance took a complete 180 and he was a driving force as the Flyers became only the third team in NHL history to rally from a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series.

Fast forward to 2011. Laviolette got the word to Hartnell to shape up. And he did.

In the last 16 games, Hartnell probably has been the Flyers' second-best forward, behind Claude Giroux. In those games, he has registered nine goals and eight assists, has lifted his plus-minus to a team-leading plus-10 and has seven games over 20 minutes of ice time.

And, oh yeah, he's been playing on the top line with Giroux and Jaromir Jagr.

Apparently, all that time with fitness coach Jim McCrossin in the team gym at the Skate Zone in Voorhees is paying off.

"My body didn't feel a hundred percent coming into camp,'' Hartnell said. "It took a lot of time until I felt comfortable getting back on my skates. Holding pucks in the corner, wasn't winning battles and whatnot.

"Obviously the message was sent. I spent extra time in the gym . . . any time you get a message sent to you — I've been on the power play for nine years and it gives you extra incentive to want to get back there.

"And obviously take advantage of an opportunity to play with ‘G' (Giroux) and ‘Jags' (Jagr). My game is pretty simple and it seems like we've been working well together. Things are working out.''

Added GM Paul Holmgren: "Scott had an injury issue he was dealing with prior to camp that hindered his conditioning program. Since then, he has worked hard on and off the ice to get up to speed. His play of late has shown his work has paid off.''

Hartnell is a big reason why Giroux is challenging for the league scoring lead and being mentioned as a contender for the Hart-MVP Trophy. Hartnell, when he's playing his game, gets right in a goaltender's grill and creates a lot of chaos in the crease.

For snipers like Giroux and Jagr, it's the perfect match.

Plus, don't forget, Hartnell has a history as a goal scorer himself over the past six seasons. Except for that tumultuous 2009-10 season, he's averaged 25 goals per year in the other five campaigns.

When he plays with confidence, everything falls into place. There's a reduction in the bad penalties and he's a defensively responsible player. That leads to offensive opportunities.

"It seems like it's either hot or cold, the goals do seem to come in bunches for me,'' he said. "When I'm playing on that top line, I have to be prepared every night. Make the most of every opportunity. Get the goals, play good defense every night.''

Time to recover

The Flyers, coming off four games in six days and with a five-day break on their schedule, are taking Sunday and Monday off. They don't play again until Friday in Anaheim.